Conventionally, a coin processing device, which distinguishes genuineness of inserted coins, sorts and stores the inserted coins that have been determined as genuine coins for each denomination, and further, delivers the coins that have been sorted and stored in response to the amount of change or the like, is installed inside a vending machine or the like. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of such a coin processing device.
A coin processing device 1 is configured mainly of a coin sorting unit 2 to distinguish genuineness of inserted coins and distribute the inserted coins for each denomination, and a coin delivering unit 3 to store the inserted coins that have been distributed by the coin sorting unit 2 for each denomination, and select and deliver coins, from the stored coins, in response to the amount of change or the like. Further, the coin sorting unit 2 includes a coin identification means 4 to distinguish the genuineness and the denomination of the inserted coins and a coin distribution means 5 to distribute coins that have been determined as genuine coins by the coin identification means 4 for each denomination. In addition, the coin delivering unit 3 includes a plurality of coin tubes 6 that stores the coins, which have been distributed for each denomination by the coin sorting unit 2, for each denomination and a coin delivery means 7 to select and deliver coins from the plurality of coin tubes 6 in response to the amount of change or the like. Incidentally, a means, which delivers a coin by pulling out the coins stored in the coin tubes 6 one by one using a slide member referred to as a payout slide from slit-shaped holes opened at lowermost portions of the coin tubes 6, has been widely employed as the coin delivery means.
Further, the plurality of coin tubes 6 are generally provided in a coin storage cassette 8, which is detachable from a main body of the coin processing device 1, to facilitate collection of coins from the coin tube 6 and replenishment of change to the coin tube 6 in the coin delivering unit 3. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the coin storage cassette 8. The coin storage cassette 8 is formed to be integrated with the plurality of coin tubes 6 arranged in parallel.
In the coin processing device 1, the inserted coin is distributed by the coin distribution means 5 and is stored in the coin tube 6 through natural fall. At this time, when the coin is stored in an erect state, coins are loaded in the coin tube 6 in a misaligned state, and clogging of coins is generated at the time of delivering a coin by the coin delivery means 7, thereby causing failure of the coin processing device 1. In a phenomenon that a coin is erect in the coin tube 6, that is, the phenomenon of so-called coin erection, a coin landing on a bottom surface of the coin tube 6 or on another coin stored in the coin tube 6 is stopped in the state of leaning on an inner-diameter surface of the coin tube 6. This is caused by slide between the bottom surface of the coin tube 6 at a landing point and the coin or slide between coins, and slide between the coin and the inner-diameter surface of the coin tube 6. Examples of elements affecting these slides may include an outer diameter or a thickness dimension of a coin, a coin outer shape, an uneven shape of a pattern of a surface, and the like. A coin having a large thickness hardly falls down since a footprint in the erect state increases. Further, a coin with an erect outer diameter edge or a coin with a significantly uneven pattern also tends to hardly fall down since the slide deteriorates.
In order to suppress generation of such coin erection, the coin tube 6 of the coin processing device 1 of the related art is configured to prevent a coin from entering the coin tube 6 in the state of maintaining a vertical posture by causing the coin to fall from a position deviated from the center of the coin tube 6 to the rear side, as illustrated in FIG. 5. Further, the coin tube 6 of the coin processing device 1 of the related art is configured to provide a plate-shaped coin posture conversion unit 9 for conversion of a posture of a coin into a posture almost horizontal in a coin entry port such that the coin is guided to fall in an inclined posture by the coin posture conversion unit 9 and the coin easily falls down at the time of landing.